Airport officials said crews worked through the night to reopen the airport. Flights resumed early Friday.

Earlier in the day, officials said whiteout conditions had forced the airport to shut down after conditions first had reduced air traffic to a single runway, and maintenance workers were having trouble seeing each other through the blinding snow.

Travelers were being urged to check their flights frequently at the KCI website and monitor local media before making the trek to the airport.

The Obama administration will unveil a major climate change plan Monday aimed at a large reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the nation's coal-burning power plants, a senior administration official told CNN.